Immunizing of seed from pest attack



Patented Mar. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,417,115 IIHIWUNIZIN G OF SEED FROM PEST ATTACK Owen Bevan Lean, Windsor, and Percy Wt-ac:

Brian, Wokingham, England, assig'nors to Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, a corpora-'- tion of Great Britain No Drawing. Application March 24, 1941, Serial No. 385,010. In Great Britain April 5, 1940 14 Claims.

This invention relates to the immunizing of seed from attack by seed-borne fungi and soil fungi and to minimising attack of seed by other pests, for example, birds and grain weevil.

invention by feeding it and a, suitable quantity of powdered sulphur nitride or of a powdered mixture containing the same into a rotating drum or tumbler whereby the seeds receive a coating of the powdered material. In general good ad- Heretofore, in order to protect seed from the herence of the powder to seeds, for example to attack of soil fungi and to control seed-borne wheat and oats, can be obtained by this method; disease, they have been treated with solid or liquid but in the case for example of seed having very preparations containing mercury or copper, or smooth surfaces, it may be necessary to provide with solutions containing formaldehyde. Ihe an adhesive in the seed dressing or on the seed us of p t s nta ning m u y or copin order to obtain a satisfactory coating. per, or of solutions containing formaldehyde, In general, when sown, seeds treated according tends to inhibit the germination of the seed, while t th present invention are substantially 1 preparations containing mercury a disadvanmune from attack b fungal parasites in the soil, eous due tothcir high toxicity to man an and stronger plants are obtained, while disease other higher anima1S. Furt S1161? t on the surfaces of the seed is controlled so that inegtg gfedno protection to the seed agamst tinfection of the crop is avoided and increased ac y 1r s. yields obtained.

It has been proposed to render Seeds unattrac- While the process of the present invention is tive to birds y treating them with crude tar or applicable to a wide variety of seeds, for example with carbon blacks such as are used as pigments s eds of peas, beans, sugar beet, flax, mi 1 icu ary e co we or e reatment of cerea injury to th s an to d y t r germination, seed which may be infected by such fungal disand neither treatment gives any Protection cases as leaf stripe of oats and barley, bunt of againstattack by $011 fungi or control of seedwheat, and smut f 0am 11 12 525 1: been proposed firstly to treat the i quarfiilty of sulpmln nitride or of mixtures con ainin e same a ied to the seed in vr seeds to render them immune from attack by soil within fai rl wide mgfg As an jg Z fungi and to control Seed-borne disease, and to suitable dosage for the treatment of cereals 2 follow this treatment by another to protect the ounces of a powdered mixture containing 5 seeds from attack by birds. Such combined treatsulphur nitride 14% sulphur, 2% immo Sulphur gifegjigohsofwever, is expensive and not entirely satand 59% of ground anhydrite may be applied to each ushe see According to the present invention there is prod treated than?a;time?itinerant A finely sulfur nitride and finely divided imino sulfur in seed by pests, which comprises treating the said admixture with n inert owder seed with sulphur nitride or mixtures containing p the same it 2. A bird repellent comprising sulfur nitride,

It is preferable to use sulphur nitride in ad- 40 t g r r3 1 t mmergl finer mixture with suitable fillers or diluents, for exg 50nd State m admlxture wlth ample anhydrite, chalk, talc and bentonite, as y dlvlded Inert s sulphur nitride alone has a tendency to detonate.

a metltmd 9 repellmg bird? the step of Other convenient fillers or diluents are sulphur treat1Pg matena1 attractlve to the buds 5111' and ammonium chloride, which are co-precipifur mtndetated with sulphur nitride when the latter is prea m of repllmg birds t E of pared by passing gaseous ammonia into a solution trfaatmg maitenal aittlfactlve blrds W of a chloride of sulphur in an organic solvent. mixture P and lmmo sulfur in The mixtures containing sulphur nitride and mlxiul'e with an Inert p imino sulphur (S'INH) the preparation of which a method f Pr in Seeds fr m at k is described in our co-pending application No. bllds the step of treatmg the seeds Wlth 4693/40, filed March 13, 1940, are also suitable finely divided solid material containing sulfur for use according to the present invention. nitride.

Seed may be treated according to the present 6. In a method of protecting seeds from attack by birds the step of treating the seeds with a mixture of sulfur nitride, imino sulfur, sulfur and a mineral filler, all in the finely divided state.

7. The method of protecting seeds from attack by microorganisms, weevils, birds and like pests which comprises treating the seed with a mixture containing sulfur nitride and imino sulfur.

8. The method of protecting seeds from attack by microorganisms, weevils, birds and like pests which comprises treating the seed with a mixture containing sulfur nitride, imino sulfur, and sulfur.

9. A seed-treating composition having disinfectant and [bird-repellingproperties comprising a finely divided solid mixture-containing sulfur nitride and imino sulfur in' admixturewith an inert powder,

10. A seed-treating composition having disinfectant and bird-repelling properties comprising a finely divided solid mixture-containing sulfur nitride, imino sulfur and sulfur. Y

11. A seed-treating composition having disini fectant and bird-repelling properties comprising a finely divided solid'mixture containing sulfur nitride, imino sulfur, sulfur and ammonium chloride in' admixture with an inert powder.

12. A pest control composition comprising a finely divided solid inert carrier having dispersed therein toxicant material an essential active ingredient of which is imino sulfur.

13. A seed-disinfectant composition-comprising a finely divided solid inert carrier having dis- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,207,791 Fernelius July 16, 1940 2,101,645 Fulton et a1 Dec. 7, 1937 2,190,177 Swinehart Feb. 13, 1940 OTHER. REFERENCES Spraying, Dusting and Fumigation of Plants, Mason, 1928, page 25.

Scientific Principles of Plant Protection," Martin, 1936, pages 260-262.

Chemical Abstracts, vol. 18, page 28 (1925), American Chem. Soc. 

